1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and method in which a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is treated with predetermined processing, such as cleaning, by supplying a processing liquid to the rotating substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In processing of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, after forming a thin film such as a photoresist on all over the surface of the substrate by spin coating for instance, there may be a case that an etching is performed to remove an unwanted part of the thin film. Generally, it is only a device forming region within the surface of the substrate that needs film formation, and the thin film formed in a rim portion of the surface and a circumferential edge surface of the substrate is not required. The thin film present in the rim portion of the surface and the circumferential edge surface of the substrate is not only unnecessary but could lead to a lower yield or other trouble in a substrate processing apparatus itself when it has fallen due to contact with other apparatus.
For selective etching or other removal of a thin film present in a rim portion of a surface and a circumferential edge surface of a substrate, such an apparatus as that described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H9-17706 for example has been proposed. In this apparatus, a substrate, on a whole surface of which a thin film of a photoresist is formed, is sucked and held by a spin chuck to rotate. A nozzle is then moved to a feeding position which corresponds to a rim portion of the rotating substrate and supplies a processing liquid, thereby removing the thin film formed in the rim portion of the surface and the circumferential edge surface of the substrate.